Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-08-11
SUFFERING PIONEERS.

bomc OF tho Huruship8 Enuureu ny tuo
First Settlers In tho Western Reserve.
The Western Reserve Of Ohio received
In ITS settlers the best blood Of New
England. Those men journeyed thither
in springless wagons, or in sleds. fol-
lowing through the woods, trails which
were so narrow that passage for their
teams had TO be cut. Months were oc-
cupied in the fatiguing, uncomfortable
journey, during which the cmigsants
encountered sickness, hunger. wild
beasts and wilder Indians. When
'.the land of promise" was reached, o
log-hut, with CREASED paper for win
dows, door of split boards. and
rude floor, was run up. The inmates
pf one log-cabin chung up quilt. and
that, with big bull dog. constituted
the door" Wooden dishes and bowls
were used for years after the arrival Of
the settlers. When yellow clay dishes
and bowls were made, the hardy house.
wives looked upon them as luxuries.
The pioneer mothers were glftcd
with q "faculty." They made mincc-
pies of pumpkins instead of apple, and
with vinegar in place of wine and
cider, and they used bears meat in
stead Of beef. These pies were sweet
cncd with wild honey, and seasoned
with pulvcrizod pepper. Salt was
brought from Onondaga, N. Y, on
ox-tcams or pack-horscs, and cost
twenty dollars barrel. Later on, n
salt spring was discovered. to which
people from all parts of the Reserve
repaired in the spring, with kettle.
to manufacture their own salt. Corn
bread, baked on clean board before
aroaring fire. was the staple article Of
diet. 1t was served smoking hot and
with it bowl ofmilk and wooden
spoon: The corn was ground In the
hollow of an oak stump; the grinding
was accomplished by pounding with
stone pestlc, hung to spring pole.
Aftcrward hand-mills came into use,
which required two hours of steady
turning to grind meal enough to sup
ply a days food to one person.
The annals of ono of tho families Of
the reserve record that for three
months younger son looked after the
supply of corn meal He had chills
and fever, and the nearest hand-mill
was at a neighbours five miles distant
He harmonized his work and his
.'shakcs." In the morning. as soon
as the first ''shake" was over, he
walked to tho neighbor's, carrying q
peck Of corn. Ho would grind his
grist, wait until the second shake
had passed, and then walk home.
] Annthcr fapilx,-whosc head was away
4 I55essking foSet. fit5d for three days on
boiled beech leaves On the fourth
day, the smallest SON, twelve years
old, rushed into tho cabin. crying,
"Give me the gun! can shoot Q
deer!" The mother took down the
gun from the rack, gave it to tho boy,
and babe the children hush and listen.
Tho report and the shout told OF the
boys success; he had killed q find deer
The father Of another family wen
twenty miles to buy provisions. Hi
wife and three children were so dosti
tutc during his absence that she emp
tied the straw of her bed on the cabil
floor, and picked 1t over to obtain wha
wheat she could. She gathered
handful, which she boiled and gave t
her children. A wild turkey ar
preached the cabin; she heard it call
and took down her husbands rife
which she had bocn taught to handle
There was but ono charge of powdc
in the house, and that was in tn
gun. She realized tho situation, but
controlling her nerves, crcpt near th
bird. and fired. Tho turkey fell dead
and she had food for her little ones
Bears and wolves were numerous
. and every cabin had its wolf or boa
story. There was scarcely pioneo
but could brag of having been chase,
up tree by black bear. Tho wome
. could tell Of their rude strategy to koo
the many wolves from the door. On
: woman burned gunpowdcr In spoon
held through n crcvico IN her log cabir
, to frighten away tho wolves. Anothc
kept tho spinning wheel going a
| night. so that her little ones would nc
be scared by the howlings ofthe hungr
wolves. Women had to be brave Or
woman heard in the evening the how
: ing of wolves She had a fcw shccI
and having put tho children to be-
she lighted n torch and sailed fort
She found'the sheep huddled togcth
, In the pasture. and saw tho dark form
Of tho skulking wolves. Tho sheep ia
lowed hcr- homo. whoro she built
large fire, and thus kept the beasts